Staff who arrived for work on Thursday morning at “Olympic House” were reportedly barred by the paramilitary police on guard, from entering the building, which is the office of the Gambia National Olympic Committee, GNOC.

A worker who was affected told The Point that, “when we arrived at work this morning, we found the PIU (police intervention unit) officers surrounding the building, who told us ‘we have instructions not to allow you to enter, because the new interim committee is coming to take over the premises.”......Source:Full The Point Headline News2. RELATED GNOC REPORT FROM THE POINT 2014 GNOC’s AGM held with difference

Monday, March 24, 2014The Gambia National Olympic Committee (GNOC) Saturday held its annual general meeting at its house along Bertil Harding Highway in Bakau.The meeting witnessed by 19 of 24 sports associations, also witnessed the reconciliations of some heads of associations to the GNOC which is seen as the way forward for the development of Gambian sports as well as athletes’ benefits.

The reconciliation came after a misunderstanding which took place between some associations with the GNOC in the past......Source:Full Report The Point News3. GNOC WEBSITE;

Security personnel continue to guard The Gambia National Olympic Committee premises barring bureau members’ entry to the Olympic House as The Gambia Government remains mute over the closure. Police Intervention Unit officers, acting on orders, took up positions forcing the closure of the Olympic House last week and barring bureau members and executives from accessing the GNOC Headquarters.

The decision that is being implemented purportedly on directives from the top, reels in barely three months fifteen days after the sports minister Alieu K. Jammeh formed a parallel interim committee whose membership constitutes a raft of institutions including four government ministries, to run the affairs of the GNOC.

Gambia government –through the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council – had publicly declared they do not recognise the current leadership at the Olympic bureau.

This move is in reaction to the election of the GNOC executives which it labelled as lacking credibility even after the International Olympic Committee endorsed the outcome of the congress that ushered them into office.

Events that followed in the wake of the coming into being of the newly established interim body had been hugely tempestuous between the GNOC and the NSC.

However, it is unclear as to who is behind the bureau’s temporary operation seizure with basically no official statement let out by concerned authorities.

The Sports minister referred Foroyaa Sport to the National Sports Council’s Executive Director for comments who could not be reached and his line inaccessible in the weekend.

When contacted, Lamin ‘King’ Colley, chairman of the National Sports Council said he is not in a position to make remarks as he is out of the Kombos, but stated: “Let’s wait till Monday [today]” Meanwhile, the affected party –the GNOC –confirmed they are in talks with the bureau’s counsel over the issue.

“We are making efforts in trying to resolve the issue. We are talking to our lawyers to see how best we can solve this,” Secretary General Peter Prom told Foroyaa Sport.

When this publication revisited the NOC headquarters yesterday, the presence of security personnel was noticed.

1. The Office and all properties of the GNOC must be returned to the IOC-recognized GNOC currently headed by Mr. Momodou Dibba with immediate effect.2. Any potential restrictions imposed by the IOC-recognized GNOC and its officers must be lifted with immediate effect and;3. The Government of the Gambia shall cease any action aimed at destabilizing the IOC-recognized GNOC.

Protective measures or sanctions will be applied against the representation of The Gambia, including barring it from participation in future Olympics, if the above conditions remain unmet, as provided under Rule 27.9 of the Olympic Charter.

IOC did not mince words. The so-called "Interim Committee" installed last week by the regime is not recognized by the Olympic Movement. As explained on numerous occasions to Gambian officials, including the Minister of Youth and Sports, the National Olympics Committees world-wide ( including the GNOC) "are not government bodies installed or dismissed, and their members are not appointed by governments."

GNOC is an autonomous body "established to develop, promote and protect the Olympic Movement. The word "Olympic" is a registered trade mark for the exclusive use of IOC-recognized entities, thus, its use by a government-selected and appointed is illegal as well. Officials should know better and not allow themselves to be used by this despicable and discredited regime, unless, of course, they are in it for their own personal and selfish interests.

IOC reminded the Minister that their illegal and undignified behavior to unleash tribal militias to seize Olympic House, close the offices and take possession of properties belonging to the GNOC has already started to negatively affect Gambian athletes who have been prevented from participating in sporting events abroad as a result of this ill-advised action of the Minister of Youth and Sports.

IOC hopes that reason will prevail for the highest interest of sport and the Gambian athletes. "

The unexpected closure of the Gambia Olympic Bureau has clocked a week –beginning last Wednesday – with the NSC and Sports ministry the least ready to volunteer information. The bureau –where the Gambia national Olympic Committee is being housed –has been set under the watchful eyes of Police Intervention Unit personnel who descended and took over the complex last week Wednesday evening on directives purportedly from the ‘top.’

‘Top’ from where, they wouldn’t be drawn into explanation as guards bar staff and executives of the GNOC entry into the NOC’s headquarters.

With matters seemingly quiet at least for the time being, analysts akin with Gambia sports dramas, had been caught off guard wondering after it was first hoped the denial of access is done to eject the current leadership out of the premises to make way for the interim committee formed by the sports minister.

But interestingly, no move has taken place with government arms; the Sports Ministry and National Sports Council all mute over the issue. The decision to besiege the GNOC Olympic house, reels in barely three months fifteen days after the sports minister Alieu K. Jammeh formed a parallel interim committee whose membership constitutes a raft of institutions including four government ministries, to run the affairs of the GNOC.

Gambia government –through the Ministry of Youth and Sports and the National Sports Council – had publicly declared they do not recognise the current leadership at the Olympic bureau in reaction to the GNOC recently conducted elections which it labelled as lacking credibility even after it received the endorsement of the International Olympic Committee.

Events that followed in the wake of the coming into being of the newly established interim body had been hugely tempestuous between the GNOC and the NSC. The Sports minister referred Foroyaa Sport to the National Sports Council’s Executive Director for comments who could not be reached and his line inaccessible for tree days now.

Lamin ‘King’ Colley chairman of the National Sports Council, out of the Kombos, said over the weekend he’s not positioned to utters comments, but when contacted did not hasten promising decision could be taken ‘maybe on Monday or any time soon.’ Meanwhile, affected party –the GNOC –confirmed they are in talks with the bureau’s counsel over the issue.